Brassiere



S. M. CURRAN Nov. 13, 1951 BRASSIEIRE Filed Aug. 7, 1948 i E r INVENToR salv/e M /rrwn BY TTORNEY Patented Nov. 13, 1951 vUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,574,962 BRAssIRE Sophie M. Curran, Hollywood, Calif., assignor, by mesne assignments, of one-half to Agnes H. Dryer, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application August 7, 1948, Serial No. 43,090

4 Claims. 1

`The present invention -relates'to a brassire and particularly to the type in which a stiff supporting member is used in the brassire between the portion of the breast cups. One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a brassire which mayy beheld firmly in place against the body and support the breasts in their proper position without exerting excessive pressure against them.

-In the present invention the supporting structure is so arranged that the brassire is maintained in a position hugging the body. This, in large part, is brought about by a stiff central supporting member and elastic tapes connected to the' central member in such positions that they exert but slight pressure against the breasts and what pressure is exerted is in such a direction as to furnish an upward support for the breasts themselves which are not only cushioned by the extensibility of the elastic tapes but in addition the pull on the shoulder straps is relieved. The fabric of the brassire itself is so formed that the breasts may rest in the breast cups in a free position, the size of the cups being such, of course, to provide the proper t, so that excessive looseness is avoided.

The combination of structural features embodied in the brassire of the present invention are such as to provide great wearing comfort permitting the individual perfect freedom of motion without the least discomfort. Other merits and advantages of the present invention will more readily be understood from a consideration of the specification below when taken in connection with the drawing illustrating an embodiment of the invention in which:

Figure 1 shows in elevation the brassire embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 shows an enlarged fractional view of a portion of the brassire shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows an enlarged sectional View taken on a line 3 3 of Figure 1.

In the drawings the brassire, as shown, may be made of woven silk, rayon, or satin material and is usually fairly durable in character as far as cloth is concerned Yand yet thin, flexible and soft against the body. The fabric or cloth I, forming the brassire itself is seamed and reinforced by tapes 2 and 3 extending slightly diagonally up and down and is further provided with gussets 4 and 5 and tucks 5 to form the breastpockets Sand 1. These breast pockets are supported at their inner side edges by a stiff or rigid U-shaped member 8, the side prongs 9 and I of which extend upward into the tubes or sleeves II and I2, respectively, which are at the side edges of the breast pockets. These prongs extend substantially only4 straight upwards along the inside edges of the breast pockets and not over the top so that no pressure is exerted over the position of the breast but, on the other hand, the prongs act merely as a central support and a support for the inner side edge of -the breast pocket. These upwardly extending sleeves are covered on the inside by a soft felted fabric I4, and the U-shaped stiffening member is also covered by a similar fabric. The lower bend of the U has attached to it a fabric member I5 covered by the soft felted material, which fabric extends downward as a tab and is providedV on the inside with snap fasteners I6 which snap to corresponding elements I6 sewed to the brassire fabric. The whole front section of the sleeves, the stiifening, U-shaped member and the covered tab, are, therefore, all provided with a soft material which rests easily and without any discomfort against'an individual at the position of the breastbone and not against the fleshy part of the breast. Attached between the sleeves and the brassire fabric and extending away in opposite directions from the prongs of the U are two elastic tapes, an upper tape II and a lower tape, I8. The upper tape I'I is attached in the vicinity of the upper end of the stiffening member which may be of metal or other material and extends downward diagonally to join the lower member I8 which is attached between the sleeve and the fabric of the brassire just above the bend in the U-shaped member. These two elastic tapes joining one another substantially in the position of the rst gusset 4, near the lower edge of the brassire and thereafter extend in a single tape I 9 to the end of the back of the brassire as at 20 and 2I where they are attached at the` The brassire is also provided with the usual -V shoulder straps 25, which may be adjusted over the shoulders in the usual manner. A It will be noted in the construction of the present invention that the U-shaped member extends only vertically upward at the center and therefore rests in position against the breastbone in the average person. The strap I1 slopes diagonally downward quite steeply and joins the strap I8 at the bottom of the brassire. In this way the section l1 of the elastic strap provides a yielding 5 support under the breast while the horizontal section tends to draw the lowerpart of the brassire against the ribs" yholding the top` ofv the prongs in position against theA bodyand inak-vr ing the elastic tape I1 a true extensible cradlel from its topmost support at the top of the prongf"A to its attachment at the junction of the sections I8 and I9, which rest firmly against the body, where the ribs are psition""d.-`f'lhe-brassire-is firmly positioned lightly suspendedfrornthe` shoulders and will not readily move out of place.' The inner upright supporting edge `o ,f the breastlx cup and the lower edge, are, therefore, held in n position regardless of themovement of tli''indi--fvidual and these two elements, together with the top' shoul`der7'strapfsecrelyepositionsf the breasts: without exertingV any special tension against theml Aswill benotedffromk Figure 3 thecentral section 3fof'thebrass'irelis Reinforced by a'doubl'e fabrieand1overestitchedi're-inforcing `tapes '3ll and` 32, =the`latter' of which -extend over the' base of the fUi and under-the wings 3S' of the-sleevecover." i

"Havingnow described rmy invention, I claim:

1. A brassire'of 'thei'type described comprising flexible' fabric material forming a band aroundv4 thebust' havinge'nds adapted to be fastened to-V gethenattheback of theindividual, said bras-Vv sire'hav-ing-a pair-of breast' cups formed therein,` the inner side-edges of the 'breast-cups lter-- minati-ng-sinverticallyextending sleeves` spaced fromeone:another-fand1 havingopen v lower ends positioned-just above--the-lower margin of the central regionjofthebrassire; va stiff U -shaped member -liaving` its prongstting closely in said sleeves and its cross member secured lin the ylower margin gef-said central region and two pairs of elastic-,- yield-ingi-lexible Vstrap members, one-strap memberf each pair attachedto eachl sleeveat each sidenear the bend Yofthe U adjacent the top of the-lower margin. o`f said band and the other' strap member of'each pair attached'toeach sleeve atea'chl side lnear theltpof the prongs,V the' strap members forming a--pai'r'jining each other adjacenttlie inner -lower`r'egion` of the breast cup with the Astrap members fromthe bend of the U extending along 'each side' to the ends of the brassirfeat the lowerportion thereof.

M 2`. bra'ssire'o'f the type'described, comprising flexible fabric' material forming aV band around thebust having ends adapted to be fastenedr togetl-ir'a't theback of` thein'dividual', saidbrassire having a'paibf breast cups formed therein, the innerside edges ofthebreast'cups terminating in vertically extending sleevesspaeed from one another and' having'openplower ends positioned just above the lowermargin of th'e central region of thebrassire, a stiff U-shaped member having its prongs ii't'tingg'clos'ely in said sleeves and its crossimber securedin'thel lower margin of said central region, said cross membery having a flap on -th U with s'nap fasteners atn g-the-y membr to thebrassire along its lowiCA iargiifn the' centralv section, and two pairs of elastic, yielding, flexible strap members, onestrap'memberfof each pair attached to each slev ateachsidenearlthe bend of the U adjacent the top of' tl-ielowermarginbv said band and the other strap member of each pair attached to each sleeve at each side near the top of the prongs, the strap members forming a pair joining each other adjacent the lower region of the breast cup with the strap members from the bend of the U extending along each side to the ends of the brassire at the lower portion thereof.

3'. A brassire of the type described-T comprising a exible'fabric 'materialiorining-a'band' around the bust having ends adapted to be fastened at ytle back of the individual, the brassire having a narrow section at a position corresponding to a narrow region between the breasts of the individiiaL--apirofbreast cups formed in the brassirela'tea'ch side-'of' the narrow section'having a vertically extending-sleeve formed in the margin at each side of the narrow section, a U-shaped stining' meinberhaving its cross member attache'dto the brassire at said narrow section and the prongs thereof tting into said sleeves, andtwo-parsofelastic;yielding, flexible, strap members, one strap member of each!v pair- V at tached to each 'sleeve-at each-side lnear --the 'bend ofthe` U1 adjacent the topfof the llower' marginof said-band and--theother-strap member-'oh each--pair attached-to each-sleeve-'at eachside7 nearthe topU of the-prongs, thestrap-memberforming- -al pair joining-each other adjacent the" a flexiblefabricmaterial form-ing-a-bandaround-- thebust having ends adapted-to be fastened-'at the back-A of the individua-l,---the--brassirehaving H a narrow section at a position-corresponding -to a narrow regionbetween-the-breastsof the indi#- vidual, a pair of--br-eastncups--formed yin the-bras-' sire at each side of the nar-row-section-havingva vertically extending sleeve-formed in the=mar--- gin at each side of thenarrow section, a U-shapedl stiifening-member having its cross-member at' tached to the brassire at'said-narrowsection and -j the prongs thereof tting into ls aidsleeves, and-l two pairs of elastic, yielding, exibla-strap mern-` bers, one strapr member of each p'airattachedto each'y sleeve vat each side near the bendof' the U adjacent-the top of the lower margin of said band bend of the `U` extending-along each side'tothe ends ofthe brassire'at'the lower portion thereof,

said band having-an elastic' section in aposition adjacent the end of the'brassi're and said elastic strap member extedingtov s'aid elastic section-'.-

soPrn'EM'. C'URi'zAN."

REFERENCES 'erred'l` Thel followingv references are of record in thefile-of this patent:

UNITEDr STATES PATENTS 

